Economic Factors Driving Africa’s Climate Innovation

“In an email interview with Global Ideas, [Calestous] Juma touches on the challenges and opportunities raised by climate change in Africa, the economic drivers behind a rash of innovations, the role of African universities and why dogma is holding back the continent’s full research potential.”

Global Ideas: Is climate awareness and research growing in Africa?

Calestous Juma: There has always been an Africa-centered climate research and innovation agenda. Because of Africa’s persistent droughts and the associated famines, Africa has since the 1970s been acutely aware of the implications of climatic variability. The fact that much of its economy is based on agriculture, employing up to 70 percent of the population in many countries, has also heightened awareness about climate change….